Scarborough Seafest returns next weekend, bringing three days of live entertainment, food, culture and family fun to its new home at Scarborough Spa from 17–19 July 2026. For the first time, the much-loved festival will be hosted at the Spa, offering a spectacular setting overlooking South Bay as thousands of visitors gather to celebrate the town’s rich maritime heritage.
The family-friendly event is designed to offer something for everyone, whether visitors are interested in Scarborough’s maritime history, enjoying live entertainment, browsing local crafts or simply spending time by the seaside with friends and family. Throughout the weekend, visitors can enjoy an exciting programme featuring live music performances, street entertainment, local art exhibitions, family activities, face painting, craft stalls and an extensive selection of food and drink traders.
Seafest 2026 is a free community festival that honours Scarborough’s historic connection with the sea while showcasing the very best of the Yorkshire Coast’s food, music, arts and culture. The event forms part of the wider Scarborough 400 celebrations, marking 400 years since the town became Britain’s first seaside spa resort. A major highlight of the festival will be a series of live cooking demonstrations from some of the region’s leading chefs and culinary experts, celebrating the Yorkshire Coast’s thriving food scene and local produce.
Ryan Riley BEM turned profound personal grief into a culinary movement, fundamentally changing how thousands of people experience food. Spurred on by the memory of his late mum who lost her sense of taste thanks to chemotherapy, he then went on to help thousands who lost their sense of taste thanks to Covid. Working with sensory experts, Ryan developed umami-rich recipes specifically designed to cut through the dulling effects of chemotherapy. He launched Life Kitchen to offer free cookery classes for cancer patients but getting it off the ground required a spark.
That spark came from culinary icon Nigella Lawson. After seeing Ryan’s pitch on Twitter, Nigella (who lost her first husband to cancer) became an immediate and fierce champion of the cause. She shared Life Kitchen with her millions of followers and remains one of Ryan’s biggest supporters today. Many other famous chefs have also supported Ryan’s work, his pioneering work eventually caught the attention of the Palace. In the 2026 New Year Honours, Ryan was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) by the King for his services to people suffering from taste loss. As the media lead for the UK’s BEM recipients, he even celebrated with a private tour of 10 Downing Street.
Festival organisers are also promising a spectacular atmosphere throughout the weekend, with local bands and musicians performing across the event and a fireworks display planned for Saturday evening before headline act Sunbeam perform in the Spa Grand Hall. With free admission and a packed programme of activities, organisers are encouraging residents and visitors alike to head to Scarborough Spa next weekend and enjoy one of the town’s most anticipated summer events.
For more information on the events throughout the weekend for this free festival, please go to the
